'Beauty And The Beast' Eyes CW's Post-'Vampire Diaries' Slot

I hear Beauty & The Beast, the CW‘s reboot of the 1980s series, is likely to snag the network’s marquee launching pad behind The Vampire Diaries on Thursday in the fall. The series, starring Kristin Kreuk, is one of five new scripted series the CW has picked up for next season — the most in the network’s six-year history. Among those is Arrow, based on DC’s Green Arrow character, which, like Vampire Diaries, is a genre show but skews a lot more male. That makes Beauty & The Beast, a cop procedural set against a love story between Catherine/Beauty (Kreuk) and Vincent/Beast (Jay Ryan), a more suitable companion to the vampire love saga.

Speaking of female-centered new CW series, the network has the Sex And The City prequel The Carrie Diaries on tap. The series shares a lot of its DNA with CW veteran Gossip Girl — both are about high-school fashionistas in New York, just living in different time periods, and both are produced by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. Because of the similarities, with Gossip Girl ending its run with a 11-episode final season, it is logical for The Carrie Diaries, already hailed as its successor, to also succeed Gossip Girl on the schedule when it goes off the air. (Though how funny would it be to have a “diaries” CW lineup with The Vampire Diaries and The Carrie Diaries back-to-back — utterly confusing yet cute.) Two series have launched after Vampire Diaries so far, Nikita and last season’s The Secret Circle.

Yeah. It’s so dumb how they passed on “The Selection,” when YA fiction and their adaptations are blowing up, but pick up “Carrie Diaries” and “Beauty and the Beast”

mark • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

You do realize that the CW followed that route with the just canceled “The Secret Circle”?

Scott • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

If you saw the pilot for The Selection, you’d completely understand why the network passed. Laughable acting, confusing plotting, and a CHEAP appearance. A paragraph of description can’t predict whether or not a show will be good.

scifi_fan • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

I’m betting on flop, too. The Secret Circle was supposed to be a big hit in the post-TVD timeslot last year, and it had a much stronger connection to its lead-in.

Cult might have been a better choice for post-TVD, to bring in the Alaric fans to watch Matt Davis play effectively the same character (scruffy drunk).

Greg • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

It seems more logical to me to premiere Arrow there. After all, it doesn’t match with any of the CW’s other shows (except Supernatural, but clearly Nikita will stay on Fridays again).

Kavyn • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

I disagree. Arrow skews for male audiences while TVD skews female, so if the CW is trying to attract a male audience, it’s better to pair Arrow with a male-appealing show (ie Nikita or SPN). Not to mention guys would probably watch POI over a CW show, which ultimately would make Arrow a flop at that time.

I think the idea of BTB is to keep the TVD fans happy, not necessarily to compete with Grey’s, Glee and POI. The CW is going to get owned on Thursday at 9pm hard, and I think the general idea is to just keep the TVD audience tuned in. The only show that would work well on that spot is SPN since it has a devoted fanbase, new shows don’t really stand a chance there.

I say put Arrow and Nikita on Wednesday, they’ll both probably do best at that time and they’ll work well together (both action shows with kick-ass leads, both appeal to a male audience). Arrow at 8 could also help as a lead-in for Nikita, especially if the show is succesful, and help Nikita with its ratings.

scifi_fan • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

Right – Arrow needs to build its own audience separate from TVD. Maybe with Cult, which could jump both ways – TVD for Matt Davis, Arrow for male skew.

The CW should line up “Arrow” and “Nikita” together as an action-packed Friday night.

Anon • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

I really wish the CW would put TVD at 9PM on Thursdays. Nothing ever seems to strive after The Vampire Diaries (Omg, I miss you The Secret Circle!!). It seems like when people are done watching TVD, they either can’t focus enough to watch another show or they abandon the TV and go talking about it online.

I get that they want a new show to have a good launch after TVD, but given how established of a show TVD is and how fast it moves and how much goes on, a freshman show right after that is still trying to set itself up and find itself just doesn’t seem like it’s working out well enough.

Valerie • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

I know this has always been a coveted slot for the CW, but with Fox moving Glee to this time slot, and Greys Anatomy already there, it seems that a battle for the young female demo is already being waged. And that has to be the demo this series is also aiming at. Given the time slot competition, I’d try for something that might have the chance of skewing a bit more older and male, namely Arrow.

Tyler • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

I thought Gossip Girl was an 11 episode final season?

A • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

This makes sense. Vampire Diaries with Beauty and the Beast, Arrow with Supernatural, and Top Model with Gossip Girl/Carrie Diaries. Maybe… First Cut with Dixie, and Nikita with 90210?

Kavyn • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

I think the plan is to seperate Nikita and SPN, move one show off of Friday (probably Nikita), and pair them with ANTM (midseason Cult) and Arrow. I imagine Arrow will not go on Friday, so it’ll be paired with Nikita, then ANTM/Cult with SPN on Fridays (since ANTM is a vet show). A really bad pairing, but that’s because they renewed ANTM waaayy too early. Cult and SPN could work really well together.

Then I think they’ll do 90210 with GG/TCD midseason. Hart and First Cut. TVD and BTB.

Kavyn • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

Very happy with this news. It’s the most logical to put BTB after TVD. I’m also happy to hear that it sounds like TCD is getting a half-order as a midseason replacement, rather than getting the full 22. Very smart move by the CW.

Now they just need to put together Arrow and Nikita, SPN and ANTM/Cult (simply because it was stated before that they would do this), Hart and First Cut. I think I know what’ll be paired and when, it’s just a matter of what days they put them and in what order. Very wise scheduling so far, but we’ll see tomorrow if Pedowitz understands what he’s doing.

Martin • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

Gossip Girl final season order is only for 11 episodes.

Ginger • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

I think the CW should put Beauty & the Best on when nobody else is airing a procedural drama: Mondays at 9/8c or Wednesdays a 8/7c. Nikita or Arrow would make a great companion show.

JamesM. • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

This is ridiculous. Beauty and the Beast is the wrong show to pair with TVD. What CW needs to do is appeal to the male audience that hasn’t been tapped into yet not the female demographic that Fox & ABC already have a secure lock on. Plus by aiming for the male market, it could help the dwindling numbers that TVD is experiencing as well. CW/ this is why you continue to fail.

scifi_fan • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

TVD is never going to be male-skewing. B&B is fine to pair with it. CW needs to build the male audience on another night. The suggestions to pair Arrow with SPN, Cult, and Nikita are closer to the mark.

DougF • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

Why do people keep believing that fake rumored CW schedule that came out the other day?

George • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

Monday
Heart of Dixie (NT)
First Cut (N)

Tuesday
90210
The Carrie Diaries (N)

Wednesday
Beauty & the Beast (N)
Nikita (NT)

Thursday
The Vampire Diaries
Arrow (N)

Friday
American’s Next Top Model (NT)
Supernatural

Midseason
Gossip Girl (season 6)
Cult (new series)

B- • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

The CW should copy The WB and put TVD on Tuesdays at 8 like Buffy in it’s heyday and Beauty and the Beast at 9. Thursday go back to more action oriented shows and have Nikita anchor the night with Arrow following it at 9. Heart of Dixie should move to Friday, it’s not a teen show and it could appeal to people who are at home on Friday nights. And Gossip Girl should go back to being paired with 90210 again.

Adrian • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

I was hoping they would put Arrow in that timeslot. Let’s face it, between Grey’s Anatomy and Glee this is going to get murdered, which is unfortunate because I actually want this to succeed, hell I want something to succeed.

Nothing will ever hold VD’s audience, those viewers are more likely to go online to talk about the episode than to stick around to watch anything that comes after, that is why I think they should move VD to 9 and hope one of the new shows becomes a self-starter.

Plus VD is not what it used to be. The quality has decreased greatly and I believe by spring next year it’s going to be pulling sub 1.0 demos.

Freyja • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

Well you do know they are moving VD to 9pm for the summer so why not just leave it there, why bother moving it back and forth. GG was for 11 only not 13.

I still say Arrow and SPN is better than Nikita and Arrow, because SPN is stronger than Nikita and would work better. Because honestly looking at the ratings why in the hell would the CW pair Arrow with a show that does 0.04 in the demo, you might as well kill Arrow now then.

If any show deserves to be moved it’s SPN it got tossed to Friday’s to die, and it proved to be the second highest rated show this season, almost in line with last season.

There are way to many Reality shows on this fall, the CW needs to counter program those shows with male oriented shows… If not they won’t be competitive.

Yes, because pairing Arrow with a show that does 0.04 smells of success ;) and Nikita won’t magically get 1.5 if moved to a new night so keep on dreaming.

Kristin • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

The Carrie Diaries is a YA novel adaption, too, though.

bob • on May 16, 2012 10:38 am

ARROW and NIKITA wednesday that is the best choice………I agree this would be the Male demo night.
VD and B&B on tuesday but have B&B as the lead in.
I agree nothing is going to do well “after” VD.
Cult and Supernatural on thur, with Cult on first and SN in it’s old spot. this would be the Male demo night.
90210 and HOD on mondays
GG on fridays with top model